‘Impossible’ is a hard label to dish out these days because as humans we have overcome many hurdles and achieve many great things. What was once thought of as impossible many years ago can well be a regular achievement today.
It’s getting harder to think of doing something extraordinary that hasn’t been done yet.
There is, however, an example. A professional rugby league player at the height of his career wanting to try his luck at the most competitive and complex game on the face of the planet, the NFL.
It’s really quite refreshing to be able to say the word impossible again and have it mean just that. But in the back of all of our minds, haters or lovers, with him or against him, there are two words floating around and thats, what if?
What if Jarryd Hayne could? It is a gutsy decision or equally stupid one, to walk away from a simple game he knows in and out, to give up everything to play a game he knows nothing about.
When I was a lot younger I had a poster on my bedroom wall that had a saying on it that went “some people dream of climbing mountains, but others wake up and climb them”.
When I think of this, I think of Hayne.
From all reports I’m hearing, Jarryd wants to be a running back. Other then Reggie Bush and a few die hard Hayne fans, everyone else is saying this is such a tall order – maybe too tall in Haynes case.
You see Jarryd’s height is a big problem, as the perfect height for a NFL running back is 5’11. Jarryd is a tall 6’2, that would make Hayne one of the tallest running backs in the NFL. Out of all 148 running backs who are contracted to an NFL franchise, only eight are 6’2 or taller.
It is beneficial for a running back to be pocket sized because a running back may hide behind his own offensive linesmen. A taller running back could be seen a lot easier by the opposition’s defence.
There is also talk about Hayne moving into a wide receiver role, he has the speed and the size even the athleticism to play this position but he should have to memorise a playbook the size of all of J. R. R. Tolkien novels put together.
In the words of Al Pacino in Any Given Sunday, “football is a game of inches, the margin for error is so small , one half a step too late or too early and you don’t quite make it, one half a second too slow, too fast and you don’t quite catch it, the inches we need are all around us”.
If Hayne doesn’t know the playbook inside and out, he is going to struggle to make that catch or grab that extra inch. He is competing for a spot against players who have the same speed or faster, the same athleticism or better. However, there is one thing that each one has that Hayne doesn’t – everyone of them breathe that playbook.
It comes to them as second nature because they’ve been rehearsing those plays well before Hayne woke up and realised his dream of becoming an NFL star.
The other position that Hayne should easily walk straight into and play should be a kick return on an NFL franchise special teams. But is Jarryd seriously going to leave the greatest game on earth to go and prove to himself and a bunch of Americans that he can catch a ball and maybe run it up the middle once or twice a game?
It is not much of an achievement when you consider that every fullback and winger in the NRL, Super League and rugby union has the attributes and ability to play this role.
In my opinion it should seem that if he does end up in this role it would be unfortunate ending to a highly talented athletic career.
I will leave you with this statistic. Out of all American high school players, two per cent of players go on to play in the college system. Out of all college football players one per cent end up playing in the NFL.
High profile NRL players trying their luck in the NFL? We’re still waiting for that statistical data to come through.
Lions DB
Guest
No, he doesn't have any skill set to fit a safety or CB. Hayne's got to develop a proficient backpedal for the position - that will take 2-3 years to catchup to collegiate levels. Then there's the reads & checklists he's got to go over, plus knowing the playbook. Just no. Yes rugby league teaches great arm tackling technique on how to wrap up and defending in a line, but is very poor on teaching open field tackling and how to break down & not over-pursue. Best & only position for him is as a returner - maybe have him as an x-factor hybrid returner/punter like Harding @ UHawaii
Russell Johnson
Guest
Personally I care more about who is the the third reserve for the Macedonian synchronised swimming team than I do about Hayne in the NFL or SB in RU. What a waste of air in talking time, what a waste of skin to type about this issue,and what a waste of brain usage having an opinion about either!
Mikele
Guest
haha yep sure, it was just "asking the question" whilst pointing out every single thing that could obstruct it from happening. Obviously you don't think its bad because you probably share the exact same opinion.
Jason
Guest
Wow mikele.. It's just an article about someone else's opinion other then yours.. Not the end of the world... This article really wasn't against Hayne at all.. It was more asking the question can he do it not stating that Hayne couldn't make it...it was not a bad article at all..
toa
Guest
Opportunity, that’s all he needs the rest will fall into place. Couples of things suggest that Hayne will at least make the practice squad. Networking: In terms of Jarryd status there’s always someone that knows somebody who can push Hayne agenda. It would not surprise me if a deal was well in place prior to last Christmas. Big game experience: Although the NFL pressure cooker is different from NRL the fact remains instinctive football personalities like Hayne remove the complexities of a game and simplify it by self-confidence. Belief in wanting: Israel Folau was ask if American Football was appealing to him, in an honest reply “no”. Fans can rattle off fantasy prospects that would be able to crossover, in reality the footballer in question has to want it, Jarryd IMO wants it. The television crew documenting his journey is part of a plan that was establish during the networking stage. Jarryd belief is difficult for the skeptics to theoretically comprehend. For Hayne, belief is founded on the logic of practicality. Experience will kick in when things are tough, self-confidence will level the playing field. Hayne IMO will succeed.
Mikele
Guest
No offense, your clearly an NFL supporter of the sport but he/she is right, its not rocket science. You don't need a degree to play it. Comparing it to learning a language is a bit of an extreme analogy isn't it? Come on now, a sport is still a sport. In relation to your question to me, I'm not being negative, that's the whole point, and how would you know whether or not it impacts my life? How would you know what Jarryd "aims to profit" - unless your an NFL expert AND Jarryd's best mate, please don't write unnecessary comments to me.
Mikele
Guest
Please, a bitter person? No way. You've got it all confused, I'm urging other NOT to be so bitter and negative. Whats wrong with focusing on the positives every once in a while? Fair enough nobody wants to be naive and label his move as 'easy', but how boring must your own life be to sit there and pinpoint every obstacle he may face. I'm not blinded by 'love' for anyone actually, and I'm also not saying nobody should have an opinion (neither good or bad) - all I'm saying is, why is that 99% of people's opinions are negative? If you ask me, it sounds like tally poppy syndrome. Nobody can ever wish someone the best and hope that they fulfill their goals .. its always "but he's not this, he's not that, he's never done this, he's never played that" As I said, there's no point in him worrying about the people talking behind his back, they are behind him for a reason. You have the nerve to call ME bitter, you must in fact be blinded by something, its called NEGATIVITY.
Jeremy
Guest
Plenty of space in the Sydney NRL media for stories on a Bath rugby player and a NFL trialist but nothing on the passing of a Magpies and Kangaroo great. Hopeless. https://twitter.com/menofleague/status/558449254268538881
fiver
Guest
I still think Hayne is so wasted in NFL, not saying NFL is a inferior game that requires little talent. But Hayne's strengths are his evasiveness, unpredictability, and pure power. He plays with and demands more freedom in League than any other player, yet he wants to play a game that will offer him zero freedom. I wonder if he has really thought it through...
Wascally Wabbit
Guest
I have 2 questions. I don't follow NFL so don't know much about it, but I haven't seen anyone mention Hayne having to adapt to wearing padding and helmet. Would he find it difficult, especially the helmet as he would lose a certain amount of peripheral vision compared to League and generally find it distracting. Secondly, a few people have speculated which club he might go to if he returned to the NRL. As he walked out mid way through a contract at the Eels, wouldn't he be obliged to return there or at worst Parra to get some compensation ?
ParraMan12
Guest
So no one can have an opinion on Hayne unless its a good one? wow!! You are a bitter person Mikele and blinded by your love for Jarryd.
Mikele
Guest
Its not the point - yes honesty is a virtue, but sitting there listing everything that could potentially obstruct Jarryd from making it in the NFL is pessimistic and, whether you like it or not, its negative. Yes, your saying its 'impossible' in a subtle way, but the concept behind it is the same as all the other articles that put him down. How would you feel if I sat there and said you could never be a mainstream journalist because you write about things and people you have no idea about? I'd be being honest, but would I be being negative? I think so.
Charlie
Guest
The NFL is currently full of Americans and so only Americans could be good at it? That's how major league baseball used to be. Now more than a quarter of the MLB are from overseas. If Australia, NZ, South Africa, Fiji, Samoa, Tonga, and New guinea started playing American football seriously they would make up half the NFL within a generation. The tackling in the NFL is very poor, like bunch of big girls slapping each other. You can keep all your fancy statistics, hand Jarryd Hayne the ball and watch our man do his thing. GO PARRA!!
micka
Guest
Brett Kimmorley
mushi
Roar Guru
Put it this way I'd regard it a pretty tall ask to say 6 months to go from never having heard Mandarin to being comeptlely fluent to the point you could write and deliver an eloquent 30 minute speech and yet there are around a billion native speakers of the language
mushi
Roar Guru
It's a litte disingenuous to compare the particpation rates as the US doens't have a wide spread club style system outside of it's schools so you only get to partipcate if you get selected to a highschool team, which can be incredibly prestigous in some places. But yes there ahs been an element of "code war" ness with people getting offended by the mere suggestion that palyers in one game might have equivalent levels of skill or ahtelticism to players in the other when obviously "my" game is better than the other one. Pot stirer does this with the obligatory sledge that it is boring and we are going through some justificaiton process for why we bother to watch it (an agurment that can probbly made by someone agaisnt every form of entertainment in the world)
mushi
Roar Guru
Um because they generally get to learn it gradually over many years.
mushi
Roar Guru
Then that would get very circuitous wouldn't it.
Glenn Innes
Guest
Pot Stirrer - It's just Yankophilia because it's played over there it must be superior.I mean ever since the Hayne thing started some of the crap we have to read about NFL players. Like Colin Scotts for example talking about three hundred pound guys who can run "Olympic times" yeah sure mate.... we all know that is crap.There are no doubt some two hundred pound guys who can run fringe Olympic times but three Hundred pound..... Also I would suggest the competition to get a contract in any of the big four European soccer Leagues would be far more cut throat than the NFL simply because so many more kids around the world play soccer than American Football.. We keep reading about how few High School players reach College and then make the NFL but what percentage of Rugby League participants ever get an NRL contract (and most who do never actually play a first grade game),making it in the NRL is not as easy as you may think given participation rates for organized Rugby League in Australia are way way higher than for American Football in the States. The overwhelming majority of Americans have never played an organized game of American Football in their entire lives.At any one time there are about a million high School players and a few thousand college and pro players, the pool really isn't that much bigger than the NRL draws from (I was quite suprised by this when I did some research into it) I have no idea of Hayne's chances, only two elite Rugby League players have ever tried Mark Harris back in the seventies (he ended up doing kick offs in Canada ) and Willie Mason had a one off practice session (which obviously didn't impress anyone who mattered) so on the rather thin historical precedent we have to go on he probably will never get a look in ... but I hope he can make it work. From the outside looking in(and I know very little about American Football but some things are pretty obvious) whether he will be fast enough is a big question mark in a game dominated by black people who are faster than white and Polynesian people generically speaking.Also he will have to relearn how to run the ball, in League he is constantly "faking the lateral" as Americans would call it to try and create space, that doesn't work in a game where you don't have to defend the pass. So lots of things that are now instinctive to him via twenty years of Rugby League he is going to have to try and "unlearn" very quickly..and that is a very big challenge, harder than you think from a nuerophysiological perspective.What makes it really hard is there is no equivalant to say the QLD Cup where he can spend a season getting some game time and learning how to play, he has to go straight in the deep end, but if he can pull it off it will be fun to watch.
Jason
Guest
didnt you too just analyze those possitions???? Welcome to the NFL!!! you people in rugby dont look at stats like we do. our whole sport is based around analyzing every little detail in every possition, in our opinion these stats do matter. Good read...